Lacto-fermenting FAQs

QUESTIONS

ANSWERS

Science & Health

What is lacto-fermentation?
Lacto-fermentation is an ancient method of food preservation that has been around for thousands of years. Many different cultures around the world used this technique in some manner. Many foods that you have eaten or have heard of were originally made using lacto-fermentation, ie. sauerkraut, pickles, kimchi (a spicy sauerkraut eaten to this day with every meal in Korea) etc. Lacto-fermented are not only “preserved” but are nutrient-dense, enzyme rich and made alive with probiotics.

Why should one eat lacto-fermented foods, what are the benefits?
Most cultures around the world have some sort of fermented food that is a staple in their diet. We should be following in their footsteps, as there is a reason their health is more stable than that of the U.S. It is becoming widely known that 80% of our immune system is in our gut. The immune system deals with aging, infection, disease, and general health. Consuming these probiotic and enzyme rich foods help build the immune system and aide digestion, taking a load off our system.

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Can I eat lacto-fermented foods even though I’m lactose or dairy intolerant?
The process of lacto-fermentation happens when the starches and sugars within the vegetables are converted to lactic acid by the friendly bacteria lactobacilli. So the term "lacto" in lacto-fermentation actually refers to this production of lactic acid, not lacto as in the lactose in milk. So, the answer to this question is Yes and Maybe/No.

YES – If the fermented food was made with the traditional "salt" method.
MAYBE or NO – If the fermented food was made with the addition of "whey", usually from yogurt or kefir, those with dairy intolerance’s may not be able to enjoy those types of ferments. But if you remember from the lesson on “whey”, we learned that the lactose is more broken down when taken from our homemade yogurt/kefir, making it easier to digest. So in this instance one would have to proceed with trying at their own discretion and risk. (non-dairy vegetable culture powders are available to use in place of "whey" if dairy is an issue).

Are canned (processed), dehydrated, or frozen vegetables able to be fermented?
No. These foods have already been "processed" and lack the beneficial lacto-baccilli needed to culture and ferment. Not to mention, that since they’ve already been processed in some manner they will inevitably turn to "mush" if you attempt to ferment them.

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If I heat or warm my fermented foods will the health benefits be diminished?
Heat can damage, or destroy, some or all of the enzymes and probiotics in fermented foods. There is no real sure way to know how much is destroyed. So to enjoy the health benefits, it is best to consume the majority of your fermented foods raw. If you would like to warm the fermented foods we suggest using a very low heat, or adding them to other foods after cooking – ie. add some sauerkraut on top of a chicken breast after cooking OR adding some fermented vegetables or brine to a stew after removing from the heat.

Can I use my fermented foods in cooked or non-cooked (raw) recipes?
No, Maybe, and Yes. Using your fermented foods in a "cooked" recipe will cause at least some of the health benefits to be diminished (see above question). With that being said, your fermented foods are by far better quality than anything you can purchase in the store. So if you want use them in a special recipe (holiday party, birthday, baby shower, etc., go-for-it! For raw, uncooked, recipes it is definitely a great idea to use fermented foods.

Method & Tools

Do I have to use salt in fermenting, or can I reduce the amount of salt called for in the recipe?
We would never suggest omitting the salt completely in a ferment. Salt is needed in lacto-fermentation, as it acts as a preservative… keeping mold and putrefying bacteria at bay until the lactobacilli (friendly bacteria) can take over and populate the ferment. We would also caution against reducing the salt called for in a lacto-fermentation recipe, this could lead to issues with the ferment. All of the fermenting recipes at CookingGodsWay.com and in our book “Lacto-fermenting: The Easy & Healthy Way” have been tried and tested using the least amount of salt needed to keep fermentation safe. If you have a concern about salt, we would suggest looking at the type of salt you are using. Natural salts, such as Himalayan Salt do not effect the body like commercial “table salts”.

My vegetables keep floating above the brine. Is this okay, or will it spoil my ferment? Keeping vegetables submerged can be one of the trickiest things about fermenting. But it is a very important step. In order to virtually eliminate issues with mold and other spoilage, it is important to keep the vegetables submerged during the entire fermenting process. The easiest way to keep those stubborn vegetables down is to use "fermentation weights". Fermentation weights should be made of food-safe and non-porous materials, like ceramic/porcelain or glass. Our Essential Veggie Fermentation Weights are an ecomomical and safe option. In the mean time, if you do not have weights available, you can open up the ferment and push the vegetables back down. Though the vegetables will inevitably want to float again. You will then have to repeat this process, which is not ideal. Everytime you open the jar there is a chance that some foreign bacteria in the air could contaminate your ferment.

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Storage & Safety

Can I get food poisoning from eating fermented foods?
Fermented foods which are properly made are considered very safe to eat. According to Fred Breidt a microbiologist with the USDA – "properly fermented vegetables are actually safer than raw vegetables, which might have been exposed to pathogens like E. coli on the farm… With fermented products there is no safety concern. I can flat-out say that. The reason is the lactic acid bacteria that carry out the fermentation are the world’s best killer of other bacteria," – San Francisco Gate, June 2009. It does not happen very often, but if an occasional batch goes bad, you will know it. In all the years of fermenting foods I have only had two batches go bad. One got mold on it after being the fridge for some time and one smelled so horrible after the fermentation process that you couldn’t even get your nose near it. Both were tossed in the garbage immediately. So you can see, if it does happen, the signs will be there and it would not be easy in the least to consume a contaminated batch.

How long do fermented foods last?
Lacto-fermented foods differ from commercially processed foods in how they go "bad". Commercially processed foods become tainted with bad bacteria or mold, becoming unsafe to eat. While lacto-fermented foods do on very rare occasion get mold or go "bad", this is generally not the case (see Q: ‘Can I get food poisoning from eating fermented foods?’). The lacto-fermented foods are alive and continue to “ferment” even in cold storage, just at a slower rate. In our experience, the harder the cellular wall of the vegetable the longer they will last after fermentation and stored in the refrigerator. An example would be that cabbage that has a very tough cell wall will last over 6 months in cold storage vs. a pickle (cucumber) that has a soft cell wall will only last maybe 2 or 3 months in cold storage before it becomes too mushy and unpalatable (though it is still not “bad” at this point… we simply don’t like to eat mushy pickles).

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Why do my fermented foods sometimes taste a little different from batch to batch? Vegetables can taste different from season to season and farm to farm. The soil conditions, weather, etc come into play – this is the very same reason that fermented foods will taste different at different times of the year. You are making a natural product so tastes can vary slightly, this is completely normal.

Yogurt, Whey, Greek Yogurt, Yogurt Cheese

How long can I expect my yogurt, whey, yogurt cheese to last in the refrigerator?

Homemade yogurt will last about 7 days in the refrigerator. As it matures it will just taste more yeasty and sour, but is not harmful at this point. The good pro-biotic bacteria have just eaten most of the sugar that was left in the food and it is beyond the taste you like.
Whey will last around 6 months in the refrigerator. As it matures it will get more of a slimy type consistency.
Yogurt cheese will last up to 1 month in the refrigerator. Keep in mind the door of the refrigerator will be warmer than the body, so to keep things fresher longer you may want to store them inside the body of the refrigerator and not in the door.

Why does my freshly made yogurt smell / taste "yeasty? If your freshly made yogurt smells or tastes yeasty then it is probably due to the "culture" being old. After weeks or months of making yogurt the culture gets weakened. Simply purchase a new store-bought "live" yogurt from the store to start a new batch.

My yogurt did not turn out… it is runny or lumpy. Why is this? This could be for a number of reasons – such as a possible "weak" culture, incorrect temperatures, yogurt not being insulated sufficiently during culturing etc. If you are having trouble getting your yogurt to "set" or culture properly we would suggest looking over the details of the lesson and the recipe.

I would like to flavor my yogurt. When can I add in fruit / sweetener/ other flavorings? We always recommend never adding any fruit, sugars, or other flavoring to the yogurt before or after culturing. Your "Mother" batch should be kept pure. Adding fruits or sugars will greatly speed up the "break-down" of your yogurt, causing it only last a few days. If you desire to flavor your yogurt always add it to the serving bowl as each individual likes.

I prefer my yogurt really thick. What can I do to get it thicker? If you want thicker yogurt there are three things you can try. We suggest giving each a try and see what you prefer.

Try using a full fat milk to make the yogurt. Skim milk or reduced fat milk does not make the best yogurt. The higher the fat content of the milk, the creamier and thicker your yogurt will be.
Strain your yogurt as taught in Lesson 7: Whey, Greek Yogurt, & Yogurt Cheese.
Lastly, you may try adding plain gelatin powder to the recipe. We suggest Great Lakes Unflavored Kosher Gelatin or Vital Proteins Pasture-Raised Beef Gelatin
(as they are grass-fed beef sourced). Follow the yogurt recipe as normal, except for one small change in the beginning: Pour your "cold" milk into the pan and sprinkle 2 teaspoons gelatin (per 1/2-gallon of milk) on top. Allow to stand for 5 minutes to absorb the gelatin. Proceed to heat the milk as the recipe states and follow all remaining instructions.

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Sauerkraut

My sauerkraut has been fermenting for a couple of days now and is overflowing the jar. What happened?
If, during the fermenting period, your sauerkraut or sauerkraut juice overflows the jar (air-lock) this is usually a sign that the jar was over-filled. When making sauerkraut always remember to leave at least 3 to 4 inches of space from the top of the jar for expansion. Sauerkraut can be a really active ferment at times and needs this extra head-space. So if this has happened to you, simply open the jar, remove and discard a portion of the cabbage, cleaning out the air-lock if necessary, and place air-lock lid back on the jar… continuing with the fermenting time remaining.

Can I add more brine to my sauerkraut in the middle of fermenting if it looks dry?
Yes, absolutely. Simply remove the air-lock lid for a brief moment, pour in the brine, place the lid back on and continue with the remaining fermenting time. (Just remember to keep that 3 to 4 inches of head-space in the jar… you can remove some cabbage if needed to keep it at the proper level.)

After only a short time of fermenting my sauerkraut starts floating, what should I do?
In order to virtually eliminate issues with mold and other spoilage, it is important to keep the cabbage submerged during the entire fermenting process. The easiest way to keep the kraut down is to use "fermentation weights". Since sauerkraut is so dense and hard to keep down, it is preferable to use a "hefty" heavy weight. Fermentation weights should be made of food-safe and non-porous materials, like ceramic/porcelain or glass. Our Essential Veggie Fermentation Weights are an ecomomical and safe option. Our special Split Half-Gallon weight is designed specifically for sauerkraut and half-gallon wide-mouth jars, weighing in at 1/2-pound and 1/2-inch thick. In the mean time, if you do not have weights available, you can open up the ferment and push the kraut back down. Though the cabbage will inevitably want to float again. You will then have to repeat this process, which is not ideal. Everytime you open the jar there is a chance that some foreign bacteria in the air could contaminate your ferment.

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Crunchy Carrot Sticks “Pickles”

My brine has turned from clear to cloudy and/or there is white sediment on the bottom of my jar. Is this normal?
It is normal to have your brine turn cloudy, or slightly milky, during the fermentation, this is all part of the process. White sediment on the bottom of the jar is just yeast that forms during the fermentation process, it is in no way harmful.

I pack my carrots in the jar tightly, but during fermenting they still float and mold on top. How can I prevent this?
Keeping vegetables submerged can be one of the trickiest things about fermenting. But it is a very important step. In order to virtually eliminate issues with mold and other spoilage, it is important to keep the vegetables submerged during the entire fermenting process. The easiest way to keep those stubborn vegetables down is to use "fermentation weights". Fermentation weights should be made of food-safe and non-porous materials, like ceramic/porcelain or glass. Our Essential Veggie Fermentation Weights are an ecomomical and safe option. In the mean time, if you do not have weights available, you can open up the ferment and push the vegetables back down. Though the vegetables will inevitably want to float again. You will then have to repeat this process, which is not ideal. Everytime you open the jar there is a chance that some foreign bacteria in the air could contaminate your ferment.

Bean Dip

After 3 days of fermenting the top layer of my beans looks darker… did something go wrong?
If the top layer of your fermented beans turns darker this is normal. This is called oxidation, and can happen due to the top layer of bean paste being exposed to air. You can just scrape it off to a comfortable level.

Is it okay to heat the beans before serving?
Heating the beans can destroy some of the probiotics and enzymes in the beans. Though with that said… the beans do taste best when served at room temperature or slightly warmed. So we always suggest to remove the beans from the fridge 30-minutes before serving to allow them to warm up slightly. Or you may heat the beans gently, over low heat, for a few minutes on the stove top, stirring frequently if you want to keep the "live" probiotics and enzymes intact.

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